


A Weekend of Quiet Reflection

by SaraSaito



Series: Elementals [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Curses, F/M, Grief/Mourning, Heart Attacks, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Murder Mystery, Nemeton, Nymphs & Dryads, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-27
Updated: 2017-12-20
Packaged: 2018-02-18 22:24:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2364233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaraSaito/pseuds/SaraSaito
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Personal tragedy and it's fallout send Lydia on a path of uncharacteristic recklessness taking a vulnerable, grief stricken Scott along for the ride. It soon becomes clear, however, that there may be more going on than meets the eye.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to challenge myself to write a passionate (but non-smutty) story. I 'm not all that comfortable for writing passionate fiction. However, one of the ways you grow as a writer is to challenge yourself to do things you're not good at or are not comfortable with. So I just want to appreciate everyone who reads this story for coming along with me on this journey.

"Lydia!"

She could hear Scott in the distance. Hear him screaming her name with panicked desperation. She stood leaning against the trees. The rain, that had only started to fall when she had arrived, was beating down against her face like a hammer to nail. While it stung something terrible, the rain drops made her tears indistinguishable. Her eyes were red and swollen. Her body shaking from the cold of the rain as much as the grief. She had lost the two people closest two her in the span of less than a year. Two people who were a part of her heart, her soul.

"Lydia!"

Lydia's heart ached painfully.

_Scott._

If there was ever a person who knew what she was feeling it would be him. She wasn't the only one who suffered a tremendous loss tonight. In her grief fueled rant and subsequent running away, she had forgotten that simple,devastating fact. He too had known what it was like to lose the love of your life and your best friend in the span of less than a year. Tonight had been just as hard on him, more so she thought, because they had grown up together. Scott had known Stiles since they were very small children. So small that neither could remember what their life had been like without the other and never could. Now, Scott would. And to Lydia, that trumped any pain or agony she was currently enduring.

"I'm over here!" she yelled back, waiting as she heard a quick rustling in the distance and Scott's werewolf run in her direction.

Scott stopped a few feet in front of her. Taking in the sight of the pale, shivering figure that stood before him.

"Lydia, we've been looking for you," he said as he tried to reach out to her, but hesitated, before deciding it would be best to just stay where he stood. "It took me forever to track your scent. What are you doing all the way out here?"

"I know," she cried, the rain beating down harder on her face. "I had to get away. I had to leave. I had to--"

"I understand --"

"No, no you don't!" Lydia wailed. "I felt him die. I did more than just hold him as he died, I felt it. And it felt like I was dying too. It was just like Allison all over again! I felt him die! And a part of me died with him."

"Don't say that."

"It's true," she said as she took a move towards Scott, stopping only a few inches in front of him. "It felt so real, I felt like I was going to die too. I held him and the whole time my heart is breaking. You talk about how hard it is for you to be a werewolf but you have the ability to control your powers. I can't. I can't stop them! I can't figure them out! I hear voices in my head! I feel and watch the people I love die! Again and again and a--"

Scott stood motionless as Lydia proceeded to fall against him, breaking into sobs. She collapsed against him, half crying, half beating him uselessly with her fists until they both fell down to the ground, the mud soaking their clothes. Scott reached up slowly and began to stroke Lydia's wet hair, the emotions he had been bottling up inside of him all night starting to break through.

"I don't know what it's like to be you. or to have these powers, but I do know what your feeling Lydia, believe me I do. Allison was the first girl I ever loved. A part of me always loved her, despite our break up. She was a piece of my heart, my soul and she's gone. And Stiles -- he was more than just my friend, Lydia, he was my brother, and I honestly don't know how I am supposed to deal with that."

Lydia did not hear amid her protests the sobs that started to break from Scott at that moment. Ceasing her tears, she looked up at him with a minute understanding of him that had never quite existed before. She reached up, cupping the side of his face with her hands as the tears began to break free. A wash of emotions, Scott began to give into his grief, his anger. Lydia felt the moment his hands turned to claws against her back. She knew that Scott used love as his anchor and fretted that now that the two people he loved the most were gone, that he would just let loose. Give in to his inner wolf and become the monster he always feared he would.

She didn't think in that moment. She only acted. With a move that was less than smooth and awkward, Lydia pulled his face to hers, greeting it with a kiss. It took only a moment for Scott to pull away from Lydia with a look of confusion.

"Lydia?"

Lydia held Scott's face in her hands, trying, miserably so to hide the pain and desperation on her face.

"I'm drowning, Scott. I'm drowning in my grief and so are you. We need saving, but the only people here are the two of us. So that means we have to save each other, okay?"

Lydia watched as Scott silently nodded. With less awkwardness and more passion, Lydia kissed him again, and this time Scott kissed back. A rough kiss that encompassed all of the pain and anger that he had buried deep inside. It was hard and painful but at that moment, it was everything Lydia wanted. She moved her hands down his chest pushing them both towards the ground. As Scott's back hit the wet mud with a splash, they broke apart in their passion. Looking at one another with a sense of fear and determination.

They were quick to undress, but only what was necessary. As they sat there staring at one another, nakedness to nakedness, a wild fear came upon their eyes. Lydia nodded in consent and Scott returned in kind. With a slow downward motion they were coupled, every motion going deeper within to the point that pleasure replaced the pain. The rain pouring down around them. Minutes passed that felt like hours, the horrific memories of that night making it easier and easier to get lost in the moment. It did not take long for their pleasure to reach its climax or for the rush of ecstasy to shock her back to her senses. Lydia sat their motionless in a state of shock.

 _What have I done? I'm smarter than this. More logical. How could I have allowed myself to get so caught up in pain and misery_?

Lydia pulled herself up from Scott with frantic immediacy. Her mind rushing through a million different thoughts and emotions as she paced about.

_I can't believe I let this happen!_

_How could I be so dumb!_  
  
 _Stiles hasn't even been gone a day . . ._ _  
_

Complete horror crept over Lydia's  face. Scott, who had looked rather disappointed in himself, was at her side in an instant.

"Lydia, what's wrong?"

The heart ache that Lydia felt earlier intensified to a crushing sensation in her chest. She tried to breathe but found she couldn't.

 _I slept with Scott! Oh. my - God, how can I have been so stupid -- I could get--_  
  
Lydia pressed her hand tightly against her sternum, the pain in her chest almost too much to bear.

"Lydia, are you okay?" the frightened Alpha asked. "Lydia! You need to calm down. You're hearts beating too fast."  
  
 _My heart. My heart is beating too fast. I can't breathe. I'm having a heart attack. No I am too young for that. I am probably having a panic attack. God, this is what it felt like for Stiles. Stiles .._.  
  
The pain in her chest, no her heart, only grew. This was more than a panic attack. While unlikely that she was having a heart attack so young, it was possible. She felt as her heart thundered and thudded against her rib cage. Whether this was a heart attack or a panic attack or something else entirely, Lydia knew only one thing for sure: she felt as if she was dying.  
  
"Scott, take me to the hospital," she whispered as he placed his arm around her waist and led her out of the woods.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Somewhere in an unincorporated part of Beacon County, Scott takes Lydia to a nearby emergency room. The irritable banshee is having absolutely none of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not a doctor and my knowledge of medicine is limited to what I can Google. Don't expect things to be totally accurate. Think of it more along the lines of focusing on vague gist and extremes for dramatic purposes. Kind of like Grey's Anatomy.

When the pain subsided by the time they reached the car, Lydia was convinced more than ever that she had a panic attack. 

However, in her pain riddled walk through the woods she dropped her suspicion that she could be having a heart attack to Scott, leaving the panicked Alpha to insist she see a doctor. Knowing that the drive back to Beacon Hills was long and also to save her the embarrassment of having to be rushed to the emergency room for nothing, Lydia agreed to stop by a nearby clinic. She didn't blame Scott for his reaction. His best friend just died a few hours before, he wasn't about to lose another if he could help it.

When they had reached the emergency clinic it was a little after midnight, making it practically empty. Scott had picked her up and carried her into through the doors screaming about her having a heart attack before she could get two words in edge wise. Lydia could do nothing but cringe as she was being placed on a gurney. As they prepared to wheel her away she grabbed Scott by the arm of his coat, demanding for him to put away his phone. Scott protested, but eventually agreed.

"I need you to do me just one thing" she asked as they wheeled her into a nearby cubicle. "Don't call anyone. If they call you, don't answer."

"Why? Everyone has been looking for you, they are so worried."

"I know, its just, I'm not ready to go back. Not yet. And don't look at me like that Scott, it was just a panic attack."

"Lydia, I could hear your heart beating. That wasn't a panic attack."

"And what makes you such an expert?"

Scott lowered his head momentarily and immediately Lydia regretted asking.

"Stiles." was all Scott said. "Look I will do as you ask. And if this turns out to be nothing more than a panic attack then we can chalk it up to my paranoia and never mention it again. I know how you feel, you know, I am not ready to go back either."

That was little over an hour ago. Lydia hadn't seen Scott since. 

In his defense she had been under the constant care of a staff of bored doctor's and nurses with nothing better to do. They had run an EKG and took her blood within the first few minutes of her arrival. A cute, middle aged attending, Dr. Popescu, who looked like a reject from the cast of Grey's Anatomy was put in charge of her care. This did wonders to perk up Lydia's spirits at first. Those spirits were soon dashed by the arrival of his younger, hotter but daft looking male interns who all jumped at the chance to take long and intense listens to her heart with stethoscopes. After twenty minutes of watching highly educated but clueless boys asking her to take deep breaths while they paid more attention to her chest than the sounds of her heart, she had had enough. Thankfully, it was around this time that a nurse arrived with an ultrasound machine and the interns were excused from the room. Lydia continued to insist that she had had a panic attack but Dr. Popescu said to just humor him one last time before he would confirm or deny her self diagnosis. 

"So what is that for?" she asked pointing to the machine.

"I want to run an Echocardiogram."

"An ultrasound of my heart," Lydia stated bluntly as she sat up to look the doctor curiously in the face. "Why?

"While, given your age, its very unlikely you had a heart attack, both your EKG and blood work show abnormalities similar to patients who have experienced a heart attack. However unlikely having a heart attack is at your age isn't impossible but I am leaning towards other causes."

"What other causes?"

"Well I don't want to lean towards a specific one quite yet. But I have a few ideas. This test will help me rule a few out."

Lydia nodded, "My friend -- is he around anywhere?"

"You mean the young man who was pacing about the waiting room for the last hour?"

"That would be the one?"

"Well he seems to have finally settled down, last time one of the nurses checked he had fallen asleep watching The Weather Channel."

Lydia sighed. Thank god for small favors. She was convinced he had run off to tell the world what had happened.

"Do you want us to bring him?"

"No, he's fine where he is." She blurted, realizing it came out to fast she continued, "He would only get in the way."

Dr. Popescu nodded and went through all the steps of the test. Lydia sat and listened as if she had no clue what it meant or what was going to happen just to happily go along with the doctor in the hopes of getting the test over and done with. As the test began, the nurse that had accompanied the doctor began small talk with Lydia. She had guessed as a way to try and keep her mind off of the fact that she was lying on a bed in a hospital in nothing but her bra. For the most part, it wasn't all that annoying. Lots of talk about the weather, movies and television, nothing too invasive. At least at first. They were about ten minutes into the test when the nurse had asked her about Scott, referring to him as her boyfriend, that caused Lydia's patience to hit it's breaking point.

"He's not my boyfriend!" She cried in a tone harsher than she intended. "My boyfriend is dead."

A wave of pain struck Lydia in the sternum, causing her to nonchalantly rub at her chest.

"Lydia?" Dr. Popescu asked as he replaced the wand of the ultrasound machine with his stethoscope. "Are you feeling any pain?

"Of course I'm feeling pain! My boyfriend died tonight and all you want to do is talk about stupid things like the weather and television shows -- dammit!"

Lydia's hand pressed harder into her chest as she heard the doctor orders his nurse. As Dr. Popescu listened to her heart a fear crept over her that had not been there before.

"What's happening to me?"

"Don't be scared, Lydia, I think we finally figured out what's going on. I'm just going to give you something to help with the chest pain and then we are going to have ourselves a little talk. Okay?"

Lydia nodded as the nurse returned with some pills and water. Dr. Popescu got up from Lydia's bed and took them from her. A look was exchanged between the two that caught Lydia's attention. In her agonized state she wasn't quite sure why it caught her attention. However, as the nurse left the room and Dr. Popescu returned with the medication, she chalked it up to the fact that they were probably sleeping together. This guy came across as the womanizing type. Dr. Popescu handed Lydia the medication and she took them eagerly. Laying back against the comfort of the bed as the doctor sat listening to her heart, her mind drifted to the last moment she had with Stiles before -- before it happened.

They had been his room, working on the latest mystery to hit Beacon Hills. A string of ritualistic murders. They had been researching symbol that had been carved into the chests of all the victims. Stiles was certain he had seen it before. So they had spent half the night on his bed combing through the Argent's bestiary and other books they had borrowed from Deaton. It was late and Lydia was half asleep when Stiles, who had been sitting at his desk, had closed the book he had been reading to cover over and kiss her. She didn't think much of it then, but there was a fear in his eyes. A fear and a sadness. She wondered if he knew something. She made a note when they got back to Beacon Hills that she would find out. After a time the pain subsided and Lydia looked up at her doctor with concern.

"What's wrong with me?"

Dr. Popescu sat by Lydia's bedside with a sympathetic smile. Sympathetic smiles were never a good sign.

"We'll get into all the technical stuff in a minute but to sum things up, Lydia, you're suffering from a broken heart."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lydia's diagnosis is about the last damn thing she needs right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, please use Grey's Anatomy logic when dealing when dealing with any technical or medical issues.

"The technical term is Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy, also known as Broken Heart Syndrome. Its an illness in which intense emotional stress brings on sudden weakening of the heart muscle. It usually occurs within minutes or hours of a powerfully stressful event. In this case, the death of your boyfriend. The symptoms mimic that of a heart attack but show no sign of heart muscle damage. It is reversible and is rarely fatal and patients can expect to return to their normal quality of life in as little as month with proper treatment."  
  
Stiles, you broke my heart. Literally. Why am I not surprised?!  
  
"Why would this happen to me? I am relatively healthy and have no history or familial history of heart problems."  
  
"This disorder almost always happens in the relatively healthy. That is one of the primary markers."  
  
"And you said that its rarely fatal. So there is a chance I could die?"  
  
"Again, its very rare."  
  
"But I could still die?"  
  
"Don't let my words fool you, while there is no physical cause for the disorder, it is in no way pyschosomatic. While brought about by a non-physical cause, you have an enlarged heart. This could lead to congestive heart failure, low blood pressure, potentially life-threatening heart rhythm abnormalities or even an actual heart attack if not properly treated."  
  
"So you're telling me that if my heart muscle is weak enough I could actually die?"  
  
"Lydia, look, I know this is a lot to take in. Believe me when I tell you that you are incredibly lucky. The disorder is causing an irregular heartbeat, which is easily treatable with medication and medical supervision. You should be perfectly fine so long as you keep up with treatment. Now, we are going to just keep you a few more hours, make sure that the medication is taking affect and then we'll release you. This disorder is entirely treatable and complete recovery is possible within as little as a month. You have nothing to worry about, okay?"  
  
Lydia nodded.  
  
"Now I am going to leave you to get some rest and after a few hours if you've stabilized enough you are free to go."  
  
"Thank you," she whispered as she watched the doctor get up and leave.  
  
"And Lydia, one more thing," he asked stopping by the doorway to her room. "What was his name? Your boyfriend."  
  
Lydia found herself consumed with immediate fury. _How dare he ask?! He has no right to ask that of me?! Not now. Especially not after basically telling me that Stiles is the reason I landed in the hospital in the first place!_  
  
Lydia nodded, "Stiles. His named was Stiles."  
  
"I'm so sorry about Stiles," he said sympathetically before exiting the room.  
  
Two hours later Lydia was released. The doctor had filled a script for a month's worth of her medication with instructional pamphlets better explaining her illness and a CD of her medical records to take back to her primary care doctor. She stood looking at herself in the bathroom mirror, thinking about everything that had happened in just a short few hours. It was too much. It was out of her hands, out of control. Lydia felt like she was spiraling. She had been reckless with Scott and while it hurt her deeply there was a part of her that welcomed it. A part that didn't care. A part that was tired of being responsible. Where had it gotten her?  
  
There had been days that were awful and others that downright sucked but she was convinced that today was in fact the absolute worst day of her life. She had lost Stiles. Had suffered through the agony of feeling and watching him die in her arms. Had an utter meltdown and placed the blame solely at the feet of her friends. Mindlessly drove off into some unincorporated part of Beacon County where her car broke down. Had unprotected sex with her dead boyfriend's best frien and was probably going to end up pregnant going by her luck. Then to top it all off, it turns out that she loved Stiles so much that his death broke her heart. Literally.  
  
"Fuck this."  
  
She looked at the literature and the CD the doctor had given to her and immediately threw them in the trash. She used her nails to peel off the tag of her perscription and throw the bottle into her purse. With a soft smile she made her way over to the waiting area where Scott was sitting trying to keep himself awake.  
  
"Lydia!" he said walking over to her and giving her a great big hug.  
  
"Told ya, panic attack," she smiled softly as she helped him gather his things. "They kept me a few hours for observation. I would have been out sooner if you hadn't screamed I was having a heart attack when we got here."  
  
"In all fairness you were the one who told me you thought you were having one."  
  
"Well, you got me there. Have you called anyone yet?"  
  
"No, just like you asked me to."  
  
"Call your Mom. Don't tell her what happened here. Just tell her you found me, we're both fine and that we will be home soon. We just need a couple days alone to sort things out. She'll understand."  
  
"We do?"  
  
"You told me yourself you aren't ready to go home and neither can I. If there is one thing I know about this area other than its about four hours from Beacon Hills is that they have a lodge where you can rent a cabin for the weekend and I have enough cash on me to buy us a weekend of quiet reflection."  
  
"Yeah, quiet reflection." Scott nodded taking out his phone. "I could use that."  
  
"Quiet reflection it is," she said as she locked arms with Scott and walked out the hospital.

Dr. Popescu watched as they left, a young brunette nurse walked up behind him.

"You did well Adrianna," he said turning to her with a confident smile.

"Thank you, sir," Adrianna replied as she looked around momentarily before pulling the doctor into a passionate kiss.

"Not here!" he spat throwing her off of him and against the wall.

"I'm sorry, sir. It won't happen again."

"See that it doesn't," Dr. Popescu chided as he looked to Adrianna with menacing eyes. "How long do we have?"

"Three days."

"That's not as long as I would have liked."

"We're talking about a Banshee and a True Alpha. If they were regular humans we would have gotten longer, so just be lucky it worked at all."

"Then we will have to see that we make the most of our time. Are you sure this will keep them distracted?"

"The curse works at eradicating inhibition and impulse control. The more they engage in reckless behavior, the more they'll want it, consequences be damned."

"What about the whole broken heart issue? How does that fit into all of this?"

Adrianna looked at Dr. Popescu quizzically, "That wasn't actually me. That's all her. It seems she really loved that Stilinski brat. Either way it won't interfere with the plan."

"It better not. I have waited to long, worked too hard for anything to come between me and my revenge."


	4. Chapter 4

What Lydia meant by having enough cash was that she had taken two thousand dollars out of her personal account before leaving Beacon Hills, a fact that left Scott stunned as she paid in cash for an entire weekend for a cabin that sat by itself alongside a nearby lake. Once the cabin was paid for they stopped near a local store where they picked up a weekends worth of food, beer and to his surprise, condoms.

"Stiles was never one to live his life with restraint. Up to the very end he was wild and carefree and unabashedly reckless. So this weekend, we will be wild and carefree and unbashadly reckless. We will celebrate his life before we go to mourn his death. None of them will know how much he meant to us. No one knew him the way we did. For three whole days we focus on one goal and only one: we do whatever we can to feel the most alive. That means no phones. No rules. And most importantly no regrets. What happens at this cabin, stays at this cabin. It will be like our own private Vegas. What do you say McCall, can you do that?"

Scott stood in the middle of aisle, apparently lost in thought, "I just need to ask you one thing first."  
  
"Shoot."  
  
"What brought on all of this?"  
  
"I had a lot of time to think while I was in the hospital and you know what I came away with?"  
  
"No clue."  
  
"That life is short. It was for Allison. It was for Stiles. Hell, it could be for either on of us. We never know. What I kept coming back to was that neither of them ever lived life with regret. When they wanted to do something, they did it. Consequences be damned. And here I was living so careful and enjoy life instead of trying to manage it. You know one of the last things that Stiles told me before -- it happened -- was that I needed to start enjoying life more."  
  
"He always told me I was too serious."  
  
"My point exactly. So I figured, before I return to life filled with pain, terror and death that I wanted to have a few days to be a normal eighteen year old. Don't you want one weekend where you don't have to be a True Alpha. One week where you can just do something stupid."  
  
Scott nodded as Lydia proceeded to empty the shelf of condoms,"Incredibly stupid."  
  
"Good, let's get out of here shall we."  
  
"But how are we going to check out with all this beer, being underage?"  
  
"Just leave that to me," Lydia replied as she unbuttoned her blouse and tousled her hair as they headed up front to the balding middle aged clerk at the register. "Shouldn't be that hard to be honest."  
  
A half an hour car ride back to the cabin, Lydia sat on the couch waiting for Scott to finish unloading the car. She had wanted to help but seeing how she had just been released from the hospital, a chivalrous Scott forbade her from doing so. Lydia waited until Scott had put the last of the groceries away before planting a passionate kiss on his lips.  
  
"We just got here, shouldn't we let ourselves get settled?" he asked between kisses.  
  
"This is what I call settling," she said as she began fiddling with the zipper on his pants.  
  
"Shouldn't we wait, you just got out of the hospital?"  
  
"Don't you remember what I said? We are throwing caution to the wind", she released herself from Scott's kiss pulling off her shirt to reveal herself in a silk lace bra. A hunger came across Scott's face as he picked Lydia up and started to kiss her passionately. 

"Scott," Lydia to moan deeply as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.   
  
"No regrets," he whispered in her ear as ecstasy overcame them.  
  
"No regrets."  
  
ooooooo  
  
"What exactly did he say?"  
  
Melissa McCall sat on the couch, her eyes red from crying, her hands wrought with worry and clutching a cell phone.  
  
"I already told you Rafe, he said that he found Lydia he just needed the weekend to wrap his around everything and sort things out."  
  
"What's there to wrap his head around? Stiles is dead, the last thing he needs is to be alone."  
  
"He's not alone, he's with Lydia. And maybe he needs to wrap his head around the idea that the person he has loved like a brother from before he could spell his own name just died. And Scott isn't the only one either!"  
Rafael McCall looked at Melissa with regret. "I'm sorry. I know how difficult this is for you and Stilinski both. Speaking of which, how is he doing?"  
  
"How do you think? God, losing Claudia nearly killed him, I don't know how he's going to get through this? How am I supposed to get through this?!"  
  
Rafael sat beside Melissa and began to rub her shoulders. "I don't know. But we'll find a way. We all will. Claudia and I grew up together. She was like a sister to me. We may have had a falling out in the end and yeah, Stiles was like a big giant pain in my ass most of the time, but it's not like I didn't deserve it. I guess what I am trying to say is don't think you're alone in mourning."  
  
"Thank you," she whispered as she got up from the couch to head upstairs. "I am going to go check on him, he was hysterical at the hospital earlier the doctors had to prescribe a sedative to calm him down."  
  
"He'll get through it Melissa," Rafael stated encouragingly. "He has us if he needs us."  
  
"What he needs is his son." Melissa smiled softly as she disappeared up the stairs.  
  
Rafael waited until Melissa was out of earshot before picking up his cellphone and heading out onto the porch.  
  
"It's McCall. I want every available body you can send me to Beacon Hills. There's been another death. Same modus operandi as the others, right down to the discovery This case is now a high priority."  
  
The voice on the other end of the line protested to this request, as Rafael knew they would.  
  
"You sent me down here to investigate these deaths and I have. The only difference is I knew the last victim, he was best friends with my son."  
  
The protests on the other line began to grate at Rafael's nerves.  
  
"Look I don't care what you have to do to make it happen but I want every available ass down here as soon as possible. And if word of another death isn't reason enough for them then tell them the seventeen year old son of the Beacon County Sheriff was killed tonight," Rafael spat as he abruptly ended the call. "And I am not going to rest until I find the bastards responsible."

He stood looking out into the darkness. They had been looking for Stiles for almost two days straight before he got the call that he had been spotted in the Beacon Preserve. He had half expected the kid was sleepwalking again, at least he had hoped. Being a federal agent, you see too much effed up shit that its hard to remain optimistic. Still, in his pessimism could have never prepared him for tonight. The sounds of his Scott's anguished cries for help. The sight of Stiles covered in blood cradled in Lydia's arms. The look of utter devastation on his sons face.

"Dad, Stiles has been hurt. He needs help."

Rafael knew just by looking at him that he was beyond any help but he called for back up anyway. Took off his jacket to cover the wound, trying desperately to keep his emotions in check. Watching people die was never something easy for him. Watching a kid, and a kid he had known since infancy, die in front of him was a pain almost too much to bear. By the time help had arrived, Stiles was already gone. Both his son and Lydia found comfort in one another. Rafael just stood there, his hands covered in Stiles blood, trying desperately to keep himself together. He and Claudia had been close for most of his life. He had been helpless to save her and helpless to save her son. And while there wasn't anything he could have done about the illness that took her life, he could find the son-of-a-bitch who murdered her son, her only son, and made sure that justice was served.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rafael finds an unexpected ally as Lydia begins to suspect something is wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thanks to everyone for your continued awesome support of this story. Things are starting to come together.

Rafael McCall had said his goodbye's to Melissa shortly after his phone call to headquarters. He had wanted to stay, to help comfort her and to be there for Stilinski but he only felt that his presence would be more of a hindrance than a help. Besides, he had work to do. He had a feeling after his phone call that any pleas for assistance would either go unanswered or would take their sweet time and by then it may be too late to do anything. The last twelve hours shifted both his world and his priorities in a way that hadn't since he left his wife and son all those years ago. It was a stupid decision. He knew that now. He should have stayed and tried to work things out instead of running off with his shame and self loathing. He had lots of time to make up for with Scott and he was starting to make inroads when work got in the way. He had been gone for months tracking a series of murders. Little did he know that they would take him right back to Beacon Hills and hit incredibly close to home. So he sat in Stilinski's office, flipping through photos taken after Stiles' death, hoping that there was something, somewhere that would help him to figure out who would do this to a kid just shy of his eighteenth birthday.

A knock at the door broke his concentration. Rafael looked up to see Deputy Parrish standing in the doorway.

"Agent McCall?"

"Yes Deputy," he said stuffing the photos into a manila folder on the desk. The death of the Sheriff's son hit the members of the department almost as much as the man himself. "How can I help you?"

"Derek Hale is here to see you, sir. Says he wants to talk to you about Stiles."

Rafael noted the hit of sorrow in Parrish's voice at the mere mention of the boys name, "Send him in."

Derek Hale practically shoved the Deputy aside and shut the door behind him.

"Do you have any leads on who could have killed Stiles?" 

"Well, hello to you to Mr. Hale. It's so nice of you to grace me with your presence."

Derek looked at Rafael annoyed and Rafael look at Derek, who seemed somewhat gaunt and unkempt. He recognized the look. Had seen it hundreds of times. It was the look people wore when someone they knew had died and they weren't quite sure how to deal with it.

"Do you have any leads or not?" Derek replied, almost desperate. 

"Derek, take a seat," Rafael stated pointed to the chair in front of the desk as he sat back down. "You look like you haven't slept and could fall over any minute."

Derek sighed, noticing no malice or sarcasm in the mans voice, and took a seat. "Look I don't mean to be rude. I just want to find the son of a bitch who did this."

"So do I. But I didn't think you and Stiles were close."

Derek smiled slightly, "We're not, really. He dated my cousin Malia for a while. They meant a lot to each other. They broke up so that she could go on the road with her mom. See the world beyond Beacon Hills. It was rough for both of them. And despite his relationship with Lydia I know that they still cared for each other in a way. This will crush her when she finds out."

"So you are here strictly on Malia's behalf."

"Partially. Malia will want answers when she finds out, but god only knows where she is or when she will make her way back here. I want answers for me. It's hard to explain, because I know Scott hasn't had a chance to talk to you yet --"

"So then why don't you tell me?"

Derek hesitated, "That is really a conversation you should have with Scott."

"Scott is off somewhere with Lydia trying to make sense of all of this. As I think we all are. But I can't do that if I don't know everything."

"And I respect that," Derek replied to Rafael with the deepest of sincerity. "But it is not my story to tell and trust me when you know the truth you will know why it will mean more coming from Scott. Just know that all of Scott's friends are incredibly close, in this weird dysfunctional kind of way. Stiles . . . he's always kind of been like that annoying little brother that you just want to hit most the time. He gets on my nerves more than anything but I never wanted any harm to come to him. Especially not this."

Rafael sat there for a beat before he answered Derek's questions, "We have no leads yet. It's been less than twenty four hours and any chance we have to solve this case will disappear after the first forty eight."

"That's a narrow window to work with."

"That's the reality of homicide. Most crimes that can't be traced back to someone close to the victim go relatively unsolved unless there's a break in the evidence within the first two days of the crime."

"What have you got so far?"

"Just photos from the crime scene. I got there after the fact. Scott and Lydia were the ones that found him. If we have any hope of catching a break in this case we need to talk to them."

"You didn't get the chance to question them after it happened?"

Rafael shook his head, "After -- after Stiles was pronounced dead Lydia started screaming and ran off. Scott followed her. No one knows where they went. Melissa talked to Scott not to long ago, said he found Lydia but that they needed a couple days to grieve in private. The only problem is we don't have a couple of days. By the time they get back here, our window of opportunity will have passed. You want to help find the people responsible for killing Stiles?"

Derek nodded.

"Then we need to find Scott and Lydia."

oooooo

Lydia wiped fog off the bathroom mirror. She stood there in her nakedness, her mind flashing back to the last four hours of licentious bliss. She had slept with Scott a total of a half a dozen times in just a few hours and although her brain kept reminding her than she had other needs, she seemingly cared for nothing else. It was only the desire to clean off the dirt and caked mud that she had carried back with her from the forest that made her leave his side. Even as she washed though, every inch of her body ached for his touch, willing with every ounce of resolve that he bust into the bathroom and ravish her right in the shower. It was strange. She had never felt such a physical desire for anyone like this before. Not with Jackson. Not with Aiden. Not even with Stiles.  _ **  
**_

_Stiles._

A powerful thud hit Lydia in the chest causing her to double over in pain. She could feel her heart beat wildly beneath her hand. Dr. Popescu had told her that her condition was reversible and that it was important she seek treatment as soon as possible. Lydia knew delaying treatment would only make her condition worse but she wasn't ready to go back. Wasn't ready to face the reality that when she returned home, Stiles wouldn't be there. Her heart clenched a moment and Lydia swore she felt it skip a beat before it started to slow back down to a normal speed. It still wasn't beating right. She could feel it beneath her palm beat normally and then skip. Lydia looked up at herself in the mirror and was shocked to see her eyes were red with tears. Defeated she sat down on the edge of bathtub to weep.

_Stiles is dead. He's dead and I am sleeping with his best friend. What the hell am I doing? I loved Stiles. I loved him. I still love him. He's dead and I'm heart broken. Literally. Why am I sleeping with his best friend? Why is his best friend sleeping with me? This makes no sense. I love Stiles. I miss Stiles. I want Stiles. I want Stiles_

A stabbing sensation wracked Lydia's heart. Taking in deep labored breaths she reached over to grab the bottle of pills from out her purse. She took one with utter immediacy. Several minutes passed as Lydia sat on the edge of the bathtub, a hand pressed between her breasts as she waited for the medication to take effect. After several minutes Lydia got up from the bathtub and tidied herself up in the mirror. She reached over and turned on the water of the bathtub, testing it before flipping it into shower mode.

"Scott!" she screamed as she stepped inside.

She heard a flurry of activity as Scott ran into the room much to her surprise and delight as naked as she was.

 Lydia watched as Scott looked at her with a horrified stare before shaking his head and smiling widely. He jumped into the shower and within minutes Lydia had backed him against the wall enveloping him with a kiss. The rush of the water pouring down upon them Lydia shivered as Scott moved his hand from her the back of her head to the nape of her neck and eventually her chest. Lydia kissed Scott hungrily biting the bottom of his lip and whispering softly in his ear.

"Please."

Without a moments hesitation, the Alpha pulled her close until they stood there as one being, cradled in rapturous unbridled passions.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mysteries and schemes abound.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one of the most difficult chapters I had to write. This is the point in which so much of the groundwork for the rest of the story needed to be laid out but without spoiling where the story is heading.

Lydia stood at the bathroom sink, drying the last of her unruly hair when a rough but gentle hand came up from behind her and grabbed her by the waist.

"Scott," she giggled in amusement. "I think we had enough for one night."

Scott said nothing as he moved his hand up her stomach and rib cage before settling under her breasts. "Enough of that maybe -- but there is so much more we can be doing."

Lydia smiled coyly as Scott began to knead her breasts with his hands, "So much more."

The encompassing rapture forced Lydia to brace the sink as Scott hands went on an expedition of exploration. The smile on her face growing bigger with every new discovery.

_Lydia!_

Lydia froze in place. "Did you say something?"

"No," Scott said as he kissed the nape of her neck. "Why?"

"I could have sworn I heard something?"

_Lydia!_

"Stop," Lydia said pushing Scott away. 

"Lydia, what's wrong?"

"Shut up," Lydia said looking in the mirror. "I know I heard something."

Lydia closed her eyes. Without hesitation she reached up and turned the water on. She listened carefully as the water fell from the spout to the drain. She hear Scott calling her name, but she concentrated on the task at hand. Finally, after several minutes had passed Lydia reached with shaking hands to turn it off.

"Lydia? Lydia, say something?"

Lydia turned to Scott, shaking slightly slightly with her eyes widening in shock, "Stiles. I heard Stiles."

oooooo

Dr. Alan Deaton walked down the hallway with frightening determination. As he turned the corner he almost ran into a disgruntled Dr. Conrad Fenris.

"We need to stop meeting like this Alan."

"I agree, however, it seems as if circumstances continue to facilitate otherwise."

Dr. Fenris smiled mockingly, "Of course."

Deaton watched as Fenris unlocked the door that led to the closed ward motioned for him to enter. He did, but cautiously. 

"I just wanted to say that I am grateful for allowing me access to your patients. Especially this one."

As Dr. Fenris locked the door of the closed ward behind them he took a few steps ahead of the druid before turning to look him in the eye with a bemused look on his face, "Are you sure its him you wish to speak with? Wouldn't you rather be having this conversation with our _special friend_  all things considering --"

"All things considering, Doctor, she is the absolutely  _last_ person who should be told something like this."

"You don't think she has a  _right_ to now/"

Deaton looked at Fenris in disbelief, "This isn't about rights Conrad. This is about the safety of the people of Beacon Hills."

Dr. Fenris rolled his eyes as they started walking down the hallway, "God, you emissaries really can't take a joke, can you Alan? Do you honestly think I would let you anywhere near her? And besides, while I have no doubt that a part of you has noble intentions, Alan, I suspect you would be more concerned with Derek Hales' safety than the safety of people at large."

"So she still holds Talia responsible for her incarceration?"

"Oh, yes," Fenris smiled. "Sometimes the interns will sit just outside the cell and listen to her spout obscenity laced rants about getting even with the 'wolf bitch', as she likes to call her. Its' quite entertaining."

"Does she not know about the fire?"

"No. On the advice of her former doctor, after it was deemed she was unfit for treatment, contact was reduced to feedings and routine medical exams. Those in themselves prove difficult. We have to gas her cell with a mixture of Wolfsbane, Mistletoe, White Oak Bark and Fire Flower just to make her docile enough to check her blood pressure."

This made Alan uncomfortable. He admitted that he had not kept up with all the people that he had helped Talia lock away over the years. Especially this one. In all his years as an Emissary he had never run across something so dangerous. So out of control. A force of nature in every sense of the word. If it had been another life though, a time when mysticism ruled over science and logic, he may have even worshiped her.

"I want to see her," he said suddenly, causing Fenris to stop in his tracks.

"No!" he protested. "You know as well as I do how dangerous she is."

"I do. I helped capture her. I don't want to speak with her or for her to even be aware that I am here. I merely want to look. I want to make sure she hasn't been mistreated."

"I would never mistreat any of my patients. But protocols were put into place for a reason, Alan. Do you know how many people she has killed since being admitted to Eichen House?"

Alan shook his head in response. He hadn't known she had cost any lives since being locked away.

"Forty," Fenris continued. "Forty in eight years. Many of them doctors who attempted to rehabilitate her, others who took pity on her and brought her contraband. You would be surprised the type of damage this girl can do with a mere house plant. One orderly snuck in a fern once and we were pulling roots out of his nasal cavity for weeks after his death. Another had brought her real silverware once -- we had to cremate his body because the sight of his corpse would have been too much for his family to handle. Now I am giving you access to Valack and Hale on the mutual understanding we have about each others work. That's it. I trust you to do what is best on your end. Trust me to do mine."

They stopped in front of a cell at the end of a long hall and Fenris opened the door, "You have ten minutes."

Alan watched him for a moment as he walked away. He understood the man's position, even though part of him protested it. He walked swiftly into the cell, closing but not shutting the door behind him.

"Ah, the indelible Dr. Deaton," Peter Hale smirked as he got up from his cot. "To what do we owe this visit?"

"Stiles Stilinski was murdered tonight."

Alan watched as the smile fell from Peter's face, replaced with concern that for a second he thought may have been genuine.

"What happened?"

"We're not sure," the emissary replied as he noticed Dr. Valack put down his book and look in his direction. "There have been murders. Each different from the other. Scott, Stiles and Lydia were following a lead near the Beacon Hills Preserve when they were attacked. Stiles was gravely wounded and died from his injuries. Scott and Lydia ran off soon after. We are not sure where they went but Agent McCall feels they may have seen or heard something that may be important to catching the person responsible. I was hoping Dr. Valack could help me to narrow down the possibilities of where they could have gone."

"Is Lydia okay," Peter asked. "Is she in any kind of danger. You better tell me magic man or I --"

"Peter, do shut up," Valack replied.

Peter went to speak but found her could not talk.

"You need to show me how to do that," Alan stated impressed.

"Will do. Alan, if you are looking for answers," Valack stated as he got up from his bed and walked toward the containment glass. "Scott and Lydia aren't the ones you should talk to."

"Then who?"

"Our  _special friend_ of course."

"What does she have to do with any of this?"

Valack smiles, "She is unwell."

"What's wrong with her?"

"The exact nature of her affliction is unknown to me. However I feel it has a lot to do with being locked away in a cage of cold iron for the last eight years. You know what that does to her kind. She is lucky to have survived as long as she has."

"I had no idea. Fenris never mentioned --"

"Of course he wouldn't. She is so far beyond his understanding and he knows it. He would rather shut her out and forget she is there than admit that he has no clue what to do with her. You have to remember Alan, what she is. The living embodiment of a force of nature."

"Which makes her incredibly dangerous. You do know, she's killed a lot of people. She can't control her powers. Its one of the reasons Talia locked her away."

Peter sat mute on the edge of his bed, his mind lost in thought. The more he sat there in quiet contemplation, the more the pieces began to click. When the realization had hit him got up from the bed trying to speak, but was still under Valack's control.

"And who do we have to blame for that," Valack continued ignoring Peter's pleas for him to undo his silence. "Talia. Who punished her instead of helping her."

"You know as well as I do that we had no choice. They can only learn control from one of their own. She was the last in her family line and we had known of no others."

"How hard did you really look --"

A loud bang had interrupted their conversation as Peter sat on the edge of the bed tossing Valack's romance novel's against the glass. 

"Do you wish to say something Peter," Valack chided utterly annoyed.

"How long has she been ill," he spoke in a soft squeak as he regained his power of speech.

"For the better part of a year," Valack replied. "Maybe longer."

"Why?" Alan asked looking at Peter Hale with utter curiousness.

"If we are talking about who I think we are talking about then we are dealing with a Hamadryades. A 'force of nature' who draws its power from trees. Oak trees. Specifically."

"The Nemeton," Alan whispered as he began to understand where Peter was heading.

"While Hamadryades harness power from all things that exist in nature its life and its power comes from one and only one power source. A tree. She could never control her powers because the Nemeton was cut down. Without a tree to bond to, to channel all that natural energy it became this destructive force. Less of a rainbow more like a hurricane. Jennifer Blake, her mission was to give back power to the Nemeton, but it was never clear as to why. What if it wasn't just about giving power back to the tree but bonding the Hamadryades to it. A walking, talking living embodiment of unimaginable natural power."

"Dr. Fenris mentioned that she had caused the deaths of at least two of the workers that she came in contact with. Convinced them to give her natural objects. That shows a level of control that didn't exist the last time I saw her. It would explain why he is so frightened of her. I'm still puzzled as to why you asked about how long she has been sick."

"Oh, Dr. Deaton," Peter said laughing slightly. "As the saying goes, those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it. A Hamadryades is bonded to its tree for life. When it flourishes, they flourish. If it were to die, well they die too. Get where I am going now?"

"Someone is trying to kill the Nemeton."

"You find the person responsible, Alan," Valack said with a smile. "You will find your killer."


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek Hale rides in a car with Agent McCall as the dots begin to connect for Lydia.

It was the awkward car ride to end all awkward car rides.

Derek Hale sat in the passenger seat of Rafael McCall's FBI issued cruiser for the better part of a half hour in silence. They had managed to ping a location for Scott's cellphone off a voicemail he had left Melissa. It had been traced to a clinic on the outskirts of Beacon Hills and after a few calls, Rafael had manage to discern that both his son and Lydia had been there. The reason for the visit couldn't be ascertained over the phone so a visit to that clinic was the next logical step. Derek wasn't sure what to say when Agent McCall had asked him to come along, only thanked him and was internally grateful that he had taken him by his word that he truly wanted to help.

The past few hours was up there with the deaths of Paige, his mother and brothers and later of his sister Laura as one of the most awful and traumatic experiences of his life. There had been something about this recent mystery in Beacon Hills that had left Derek shaken to his core from the very beginning. Call it a bad feeling, an omen, but Derek always knew something was wrong. He just didn't know what -- until it had been too late.

He had been at the loft when Scott had called. Frantic and wheezing, he had told him that Stiles was missing. Something was different, though, in how he said it. The young Alpha always had an ere of frenetic hope when a member of the pack was in trouble or needed help. Not this time. This time was different. There was a strange sense of finality that shook him to his core. That is why when word had reached him that Stiles had died, he wasn't surprised. What surprised him was upset he was and how he had to steel himself in order to break the news to Malia.

"I wanted to say I think you doing this for Malia is a good thing," Rafael McCall interjected breaking Derek away from his thoughts.

Derek nodded, "She's family. I wouldn't do anything less."

Rafael gave Derek a weird glance before turning his head back to the front of the car, "I was really close to Stiles' mother, Claudia. We grew up together."

"I didn't know that," Derek replied looking at the man behind the wheel with interest. "Neither Scott or Stiles have ever mentioned it."

Rafael smiled sadly, "They had no reason to. This job, it takes a lot out of you. In the early days, before I learned to deal with it better, I found not so great ways to deal with it. Drinking was one of them. I was, as Stilinski liked to say, an ass. To my wife, my son and to my friends. Especially Claudia. Her illness started to really take hold during this time and I wasn't there for her when she needed me. I was an only child so I was especially close to Claudia and Alicia. Mr. and Mrs. Gajos were like a second family to me."

"Whose Alicia?"

"Claudia's younger sister. I mean a lot younger, she would probably be around your age. She was a surprise, as Claudia used to tell it. Mrs. Gajos thought she was in menopause. It was kind of hilarious when it happened." Rafael replied flashing a rare smile.

"I didn't know Stiles has an Aunt? it always seemed like he and Stilinski were kinda on their own."

Rafael nodded quietly. "Mr. and Mrs. Gajos had passed long before Claudia fell ill so when things got rough for Noah, Alicia dropped out of college to come and help. It was a rough time period. She left about three months after the funeral. Noah says that she sent cards on birthdays and holidays in the beginning but she hasn't stepped foot in Beacon Hills since. I know that there is a bit of resentment that both Stilinski's hold for her and they have that right. However, this place holds a lot of bad memories for her. I don't blame her wanting to stay away."

"You ever try and find her?"

The smile that had been on Rafael's face dropped. "Once. After I got my act together I started making inroads with people's that I had acted like a fool towards. But I found nothing. Either she's gone to tremendous lengths to hide her trail or --"

"She's dead too."

"I never had the heart to tell either of them, although I think deep down Stilinski has always known."

"Which is why you've gone rogue to find out what happened to Stiles."

Rafael looked at Derek puzzled.

"You're in the FBI, you have a team of experts at your disposal, and yet you chose me to ride along. Doesn't take a genius to realize this isn't strictly on the books."

"I wasn't there for Claudia or her family when they needed me. I was awash in a sea of guilt and self-loathing for a really long time. I have to do this. I owe them that much.

 All Derek could simply do was nod as they pulled into the parking lot of the clinic.

 oooooo

"What do mean, you heard Stiles?" Scott said as he draped a towel around Lydia, who sat shaking on the edge of the bed.

"I mean I  _heard him_ Scott!" Lydia screamed, doing her best to try and hold back her emotions. "He called my name. It's like he was calling to me and I could hear him. But--"

"But, what Lydia?"

"It's like he was trying to tell me something," Lydia said as she stood up and began to pace the room. "But I couldn't hear him, it was just -- "

Lydia swayed as Scott jumped up and caught her by the arm. 

"Lydia, are you --?" he began to ask as his eyebrows furrowed and widened in the span of a mere second. "Lydia, your heart --"

"I'm fine," Lydia lied as she let Scott guide her back to the bed. Her heart was hammering wildly inside her chest.

"No, you're not," Scott reprimanded as he squat down in front of her. "Werewolf. Remember. Supersonic hearing. I can hear your heart beating in your chest Lydia. What did the doctor at that clinic tell you?"

Lydia sighed. She did not want to be having this conversation right now.

"He said that I have a broken heart."

Scott looked to Lydia unconvinced of her explanation. 

"I'm being serious, Scott. It's called Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy or Broken-Heart Syndrome. It's a temporary condition in which the muscles of the heart are weakened, leading to symptoms that mimic a heart attack. It's nothing to be worried about. It takes about a month to recover but in the meantime I was given medication and told that it's going to act up now and again but it's nothing to worry about."

Scott looked at Lydia stunned. "I cannot believe that after losing Stiles, you would hide something like this from me."

Lydia met Scott's gaze with anger, "And I can't believe that after losing Stiles, you would be so quick to sleep with me."

The tension between the two for a moment was so thick, Lydia wasn't even sure an axe would cut it. However, just as hard as Scott's expression had been it momentarily softened.

"I'm sorry."

"I know."

"How serious is this?" he asked sitting next to her worried. 

"He said that its causing an irregular heartbeat. He gave me medication to deal with it for the time being. Told me to see my own doctor when I got back home. He said to avoid stress. Which given recent events I find very unlikely."

"Maybe we should head back to Beacon Hills."

"No, Scott," Lydia said tenderly grabbing Scott by the face. "I'm sorry for what I said earlier. While this -- us -- isn't something that under any normal circumstance I could see myself doing, it is the only thing I have going on right now that brings me any type of comfort."

"We've betrayed Stiles," Scott said as he held back tears.

"Listen to me, Scott McCall!" Lydia commanded as Scott looked her in the eyes. She grabbed his hand with complete gentleness and placed over her heart. "You feel that. That is me dying Scott. I loved Stiles so much that it literally broke my heart. And every minute of every second I can feel it is a reminder of what I lost. Of the utter sadness that threatens to envelop me every single second. The only time that I don't feel that way is when we are together. Call it insanity. Call it whatever you want. Stiles is dead Scott. He's dead. He's gone so there is no one to betray and there is no love. It's just sex."

Lydia moved until she was positioned directly over Scott her hand pressing on his chest over his heart.

"It's just two people, whose hearts are broken, who for brief moments, want to feel something other than the pain they feel inside. As I said earlier Scott, no regrets."

And with a gentleness that had been absent from any of their previous moments of passion, Scott picked Lydia up by the sides of her chest and laid her gently on the bed. Within moments they were joined. There was an intimacy about this moment. A quiet understanding. As Lydia moved to sit upright, her hips moving with soft undulation, she came to the conclusion that for this first time since their encounter in the woods that this was more than just sex. She was making love to Scott. As wonderful as it felt, deep in heart it felt wrong. Once again her mind screamed  _Lydia!_ and once again she falter, but albeit just for a moment as her desire to listen -- was drowned out by a rather pointed and deep motion of her hips. For while she knew she had to listen, to try and hear what Stiles was trying to tell her; she had absolutely no desire to stop.

 And for the first time since this whole nightmare began, Lydia came to the realization that her desires and actions may be out of her control.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize in advance for anyone who was following this for the length at which I was absent. I am going to be the first to admit that my interest in the show waned considerably for a while and is something I just rediscovered thus bringing me back to this fic. As always thank you for the support.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melissa receives a visit from the last person she suspected; Lydia comes to a stunning realization.

Lydia had closed her eyes and pretended to sleep as she waited for Scott to follow suit. Once she realized that he was out like the lights, she made her move. Grabbing her phone, she walked carefully and as stealthily as she could until she found herself on the outside porch.

Something wasn't right.

She didn't know what, but all she knew is that there was something going on that she couldn't explain. One minute she had been talking to Scott about Stiles, the next she had been making passionate love to Scott. Right after she had pleaded the case that their couplings meant very little to her. She knew Stiles was trying to talk to her but she couldn't figure out why or what he was trying to say. It's like something was trying to keep her from reaching him. Whether it was her heart acting out when she was trying to cut through the fog of the last few hours, as it was currently giving her the mother of all chest pains, or if it was her unkempt and unbidden desire to sleep with Scott amplified each time they tried to figure things out together. She knew that she had to do something as her last intimate moment with Scott had not only been unnervingly meaningful but also reckless as neither had sought to protect themselves. That didn't frighten her as much as it should have. What frightened her most was wasn't sure if she had the will or the ability to figure this out on her own. With a deep breath and one hand pressed against her chest, she dialed. A wave of exhalation followed as the person she called pick up on the other end.

"Hello?"

"Dr. Deaton, it's Lydia. I think Scott and I are in trouble."

oooooo

Derek Hale was not very fond of hospitals. Being a werewolf you couldn't escape the smell of sick. The emotions and fears permeated every inch of them to the point that it was overwhelming if you didn't know how to control it. Normally, he would have no trouble blocking it out or compartmentalizing them in their rightful places. Here, however, was different. There was something about this place that made Derek wince upon entry. A moment not lost on Rafael McCall.

"You okay?" he asked as he stopped between a set of double doors.

"There is something about this place," Derek said cautiously as he tried to measure his words in a way that didn't boil down to his werewolf senses were tingling. "Something's not right."

Rafael looked at Derek puzzled.

"I have really great intuition," Derek said frustrated and making mental note to nicely remind Scott to clue in his dad when they next spoke. "We need to be careful."

Rafael look at Derek with skeptically but noticed something in the young man's eyes. Honesty. He believed what he was telling him.

"I'm going to see if I can talk with the attending on duty, do me a favor and walk around, talk to people. See if there is anyone who saw either Scott or Lydia here tonight."

Derek nodded and walked through the hospital doors. Rafael waited a few moments before he followed suit, making a beeline for the desk.

The young nurse looked up at Rafe with a tense smile, "Hello, how can I help you today?"

"Yes --" Rafael replied as he reached in for his badge and took a glance at the nurses name tag. "Adrianna. My name is Rafael McCall, I am with the Federal Bureau of Investigations. I need to speak with the doctor on call immediately."

The nurse nodded and picked up the phone. Out of the corner of his eye, Rafael had noted that Derek was at the vending machine making small talk with what looked like another nurse. 

oooooo

Melissa McCall sat on her couch with a hot cup of coffee and a box of tissues. Stilinski had finally fallen asleep about an hour ago and Rafe had called to tell her that he was following a lead on Scott, so for the first time since the tragedy, she was alone with her grief. She couldn't believe this was happening. Stiles meant so much to so many people she loved and in actuality, a great deal to herself. She had never been very close to Claudia outside of her son being friends with Scott. Rafe had been childhood friends with her and they had grown apart over the years. It was only Scott's friendship with Stiles that had reignited that friendship, albeit briefly. Since Claudia's death Melissa had taken on a special project of both Noah and Stiles, keeping her distance but being there if need be. She always seemed to know what to do or say, even when she didn't know herself. Now -- things were different. She didn't know what to do or what to say to help make things better. In truth, nothing could ever make this better, nothing was ever going to be the same. She reached for the box of tissues when a knock came from the front door, startling her and causing her to knock the coffee off the table.

"Shit!" she exclaimed picking up the cup and using the tissues to wipe the spilled coffee from the floor. "I will be right there."

Once the mess had been sated she threw the soiled tissues into a nearby trash and grabbed the front door. She was started by who she found there.

"Malia?" 

Malia stood in the McCall's doorway, her face tear-stained and puffy, her eyes red from crying.

"I'm sorry to have startled you, Mrs. McCall. I just wanted to check up on the Sheriff. I can come back another time -- " 

As Malia turned to leave, Melissa grabbed the girl by the shoulders and pulled her into a hug. 

"No, Sweeite," Melissa replied as the girl began to softly sob in her arms. "Right now is fine."

They stood in the doorway for longer than Melissa could count. Stiles had meant a lot to Malia too. In the haze of the night's events, she failed to realize that. That there was someone out there who was hurting just as much as she was. Who needed her comfort and support just as much.

"Come inside," Melissa said as she finally pulled away from Malia. 

"I knew something was wrong," Malia said in a slightly cracked tone of voice. "We were in Phoenix. I woke up really anxious and I couldn't quite place it. The feeling wouldn't go away so I tried calling Stiles, but he didn't answer and then I tried Scott and Lydia and no one answered. So I just pushed it aside and then we were just outside of Los Angeles when I noticed a voicemail from Derek. He told me that something happened and that he needed to talk to me and then I just knew. I called the Sheriff's office and Deputy Parrish told me about Stiles. I came as soon as I could. What happened?"

Melissa sighed as she looked up at the stairs, "I just got the Sheriff to sleep, so if you don't mind, why don't we take this to the kitchen and I will fill you in on what I know."

Malia nodded as followed Melissa into the kitchen.

oooooo

Deputy Jordan Parrish sat behind his desk starring at crime scene photos. Agent McCall had left with Derek Hale to check up on a lead and the Sheriff was at home, in pain and unending agony. Jordan would never forget the sound that he heard when Agent McCall had told the Sheriff that his son was dead. The grief and agony on his face when he came on the scene to see the Sheriff holding his son in his arms. He had held it together, for the Sheriff's sake, until Melissa McCall had come to pick him up. It was only then that Jordan had allowed himself to cry and when he found himself without a tear left in him, he let the sadness turn to anger. To determination. He made himself available to assist Agent McCall in any aspect that he could. His attention was pulled from the photos by the arrival of a tall, slender woman who walked through the doors of the Sheriff's office and made a beeline for his desk.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes," the woman replied as she took up the seat in front of his desk. "My name is Marin Morrell and I need to speak with Sheriff Stilinski."

"The Sheriff is not in right now. He's had a death in the family."

"I know. That's why I am here. I have information about Stiles' death that is of vital importance to Sheriff Stilinski."

Jordan eyed Marin with suspicion, "As I said, Sheriff Stilinski is not in right now. Any information you have, you can give to me."

Marin eyed the man in front of her with curious eyes, "How much do you know about what happens in this town."

"More than you."

"I highly doubt that," Marin said getting up from her seat. "Now, I need you to take me to see the Sheriff immediately. The information that I have is of vital importance and isn't something that can be dropped in casual conversation."

Jordan watched as Marin turned and walked out the door. Against his better judgement, he cired, "Wait up!" as he grabbed his jacket and keys to follow behind her.

oooooo

Lydia walked back into the cabin quietly. She had filled in Deaton on everything she knew, including their location and he promised to be out there as soon as he could. Sitting down on the couch, she laid her phone on the table and sat back gently closing her eyes. She was exhausted. The pain in her chest had subsided, but she now felt a heavy ache in her back that just didn't want to go away.  _Lydia!_ Despite the ache in her back Lydia sat upright.

"Stiles?"

_Lydia! Lydia, can you hear me?_

Lydia held back a sob, "Yes, Stiles. I can hear you."

_Lydia listen to me, please._

"I'm listening, Stiles. I'm listening."

_You and Scott -- you're in trouble Lydia._

"I know Sitles. I know that now. I just don't know what to do. I called Deaton --"

_Deaton can't help, Lydia. You need to talk to Ms. Morrell._

"Marin?" Lydia asked confused. "No one has seen or heard from her since Deucalion. We've tried to find her --"

_She'll find you. It's important that --_

"What happened Stiles?" Lydia asked abruptly. "Who did this to you?"

_Nogitsune._

Lydia felt her heart skip a beat.

"The Nogitsune? What about the Nogitsune, Stiles? We defeated it."

_We did. But it hurt a lot of people Lydia. I hurt a lot of people._

"Don't you dare say that! None of that was your fault.:

_It doesn't change the fact that people were hurt Lydia. People died._

Lydia felt all the blood drain from her face as she collapsed against the couch. The realization hitting her like a ton of bricks.

"Oh, my god," Lydia said the words barely escaping her mouth. She began to shiver.

_Lydia, listen to me. You need to talk to Ms. Morrell. You and Scott, you've been cur--_

Lydia fell against the couch in sobs. Soon, Stiles voice was drowned out in her sorrow. Her cries were so profound, so loud, that it woke Scott who came running from the other room.

"Lydia!"

Scott grabbed Lydia up from the couch and help her in his arms.

"Lydia, what's wrong?"

"I know Scott," Lydia sobbed as her heart began to ram rapidly and painfully in her chest.

"Know, what?"

"I know why he died," Lydia whispered as her eyes flutter and she collapsed into Scott's arms.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A plot hatches at Eichen House as a heartbroken Lydia struggles in vain to fight temptation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alicia (pronounced ah-liss-ee-ah)
> 
> People have asked: takes place after Season 4, so basically AU with canon compliant elements.

Peter Hale paced the room of his cell. Ever since Deaton darted out in a hurry after what appeared to be a frantic call from Lydia he was besides himself.

"We need to do something," he said stopping to glare at Valack, whose nose was deep in another tawdry romance novel.

"And what would you propose we do Peter?" Valack responded peeking out from above his book. "It's seemed like Alan had things under control."

"Do you really believe that?"

"No," Valack said as he sat up and put his book on his bed. "Not really. Alan was always kind of bad at this whole Emissary thing. I think that's why he became a veterinarian."

"So you agree that we need to do something."

"No, I don't agree that we need to do something. You know damn well what we need to do."

Peter gulped,"Have you ever met her?"

"No, but I know of her in passing. Quite a fascinating thing."

"Fascinating is not the word I would use. We all grew up together. She and Derek were thick as thieves until she went postal and Talia made them both forget the other existed."

Valack looked at Peter with pointed interest, "I remember that. She leveled nearly half the town."

"Yeah. They were able to convince people that it was a freak earthquake."

"What exactly set her off like that? It would have taken an incredible amount of power, which she should not have been in possession of given her age at the time."

"Not to mention the very nature of Hamadryades. Like werewolves, it runs in families passed down from parent to child. However, only women can actually become Hamadryades. Men inherit some small measure of a connection to nature and exist to pass the potential on to their daughters, most of whom never even come into their full power because only one can exist at a time."

"I am aware of the stories," Valack said as he sat down and picked back up his romance novel. "There were eight originally. Sisters. Daughters of two demigods they were gifted with immortality by Zeus and deemed protectors of the trees and forests. They taught people to respect nature and punished all those who brought it harm. So gentle and giving they were much loved by mortal men and they in turn bestowed upon them the knowledge of the power of nature. This angered Demeter, the goddess of the harvest, who was jealous of the love the people had for the Hamadryades. She convinced Zeus that the people's love for them could soon eclipse that of the Olympians themselves and in an act of preservation he stripped them of their immortality. Cursed them to mortal lives and deemed their power would only be passed on to the first born female of each of their lines. Most were wiped out within that first generation given the ancients proclivity for war and obnoxiously high maternal mortality rates. It is said that Demeter and the other gods help the rest along until only one line remained. That of Balanis, the Hamadryades of the oak trees. This is where Demeter's words to Zeus became prophetic. The Olympians met their doom but the blood of Balanis thrived. In a new land, a cult began to emerge. One that rose to tremendous affluence and strength through their understanding of the innate power of nature."

"And thus the Druids were born, I have heard that story a million times."

Sorry," Valack admitted sheepishly. "I do like to tell it. There is a poetic irony."

Peter rolled his eyes, "Before I was interrupted I was saying that no one understood how she got to be that powerful. Her mother was still alive and she had an older sister. By theory, she would have never became a Hamadryades let alone be in possession of enough power to almost level the town. Talia thought initially it was a fluke. An outburst brought about by a reaction to intensely strong emotion."

"What emotions?"

"Anger. Grief," Peter sat down on his bunk and look at Valack hesitantly before continuing. "Long story short, Derek fell in love with a close friend of hers. Through a series of events he also ended up being responsible for her death. Now, Derek didn't know at the time that the two girls had been so close until much later. When he discovered this, Talia encouraged him to stay quiet, however, she found out anyway and they argue. She didn't take it well. According to Talia she fell to the ground in sorrow and the moment her hand touched the earth it was like a ripple explosion blew through the town. Alan had to knock her out to stop her from completely destroying Beacon Hills. When she woke up, she had no sign of any residual power. Talia saw it as a fluke, so to protect her and Derek, he wiped their minds of any memories they had of each other and kept their contact going forward to a minimum."

"So we are dealing with a prodigy," Valack smiled gleefully. "I do so like prodigies." 

"A prodigy she may be Gabriel but a dangerous one. As a second born daughter she was never expected to inherit the gifts, so she was never trained. Never instructed to harness the gifts the way her sister was. How was anyone supposed to know that it would skip over her sister entirely and go straight to her."

"And thanks to your sister, she spent the last eight years locked away being tortured and experimented on. Slowly dying for reasons that she had no real control over."

Peter would have been the first to admit, that he wasn't entirely comfortable with the way his sister had handled things. She was the sweetest person Peter had ever known.

"She had killed people. Unintentionally or not. She had to be stopped and short of killing her, which Talia didn't have the heart to do, this was the only option she had."

"That was then, Peter, this is now. She's running out of time. No matter what may have happened in the past, all that matter is that right now, she needs our help."

"What are you suggesting, Gabriel, that we bust her out of here?

Valack could only smile, "While Peter Hale, you've just read my mind."

oooooo

 Lydia awoke to find herself in the bed, with a worried Scott sitting beside her.

"Scott?" Lydia asked as she began to pull herself up into a sitting position. "What happened?"

Scott tried to stop Lydia from sitting herself up only have his hand smacked away.

"You should be resting."

"What happened?"

"You fainted."

"How long was I out?"

 "Five, ten minutes at the most. I was terrified at first, your heart sounded so bad. It calmed down after you passed out. But Lydia, its still not beating right. We need to go to a hospital."

"There's no need," Lydia lied as she swung her feet over the bed. "Like I mentioned earlier Scott, the doctor said this would happen. My emotional outburst triggered it act out. If you want, there are some pills in my bag in the bathroom, if you bring them to me, it will help."

Scott nodded and proceeded to walk into the bathroom to walk out a minute later with the bottle of pills and glass of water. Lydia took them eagerly and sure enough, within a few minutes, her heart began to beat more in rhythm. 

"Lydia," Scott said as he sat beside her. "What happened. You were freaking out, screaming about you knew why Stiles had died."

Lydia shook her head and gathered herself before she spoke, this was going to be hard on both of them "I talked to Stiles."

Scott looked to Lydia with pain and disbelief, "What do you mean, you talked to Stiles?"

"I told you earlier that I heard him. That I was hearing his voice. Well I went outside to get some fresh air and when I came back in I heard him call to me. So I began talking and he began answering."

"What exactly did he tell you?"

"He said that we had to talk to Marin Morrell. That she had the answers we were looking for. That not to worry about looking for her, that she would find us. Then I asked him."

"What did you ask him Lydia?"

Lydia sniffled, "I wanted to know what happened to him. Why this happened to him and you know what he told me?"

"No, what," Scott replied anxiously.

"That he was dead because of the Nogitsune."

Scott looked to Lydia as if he was about to answer but a wave of her hand cut him off.

"Not in that way. Without giving specifics, he implied that his death was a direct result of one of the deaths caused by the Nogitsune. That he was murdered by someone who wanted revenge against someone who had died. Our connection was cut off but I don't know if it was someone who knew about the Nogitsune or maybe thought it was Stiles on his own -- all I know is that we went to all the trouble to save him from that damn fox spirit only to have it claim his life a different way."

Scott didn't know what to say. There was a added sense of senselessness. Of anger. Stiles wasn't just a victim of the latest supernatural threat to hit Beacon Hills. He was targeted. They thought the threat had been over the moment they had trapped the Nogitsune but they were wrong. The threat had never left. And they had gotten themselves so complacent that they couldn't see it.

"Don't do that," Lydia interjected breaking Scott from his thoughts.

"Don't do what?"

"Blame yourself. We can sit here and wallow in our grief, blaming ourselves for an unknowable threat that we couldn't have ever imagined or we can be proactive. We can give Stiles the justice he deserves."

"Where would you like to start?"

Lydia got up from the bed and grabbed her phone. "I called Deaton. He should be here shortly."

"Why would you call Deaton?" Scott said getting up from the bed to stand beside her. "I thought we were supposed to hold of on calling people and takes this time for ourselves?"

"Look, I know that is what I said, but the reason I called Deaton is because I think --"

Lydia's words were cut off as Scott pulled her into a passionate kiss. In one blink, all Lydia's thoughts were forgotten. She dropped her phone to the floor and met his kiss with equal hunger. Her body balking as he moved his hands down and over her shirt began to gently caress her chest. As they broke apart their kiss, Lydia jumped up, wrapping her legs around Scott, causing him to fall back and smack his back into the wall. The whole cabin shook momentarily causing both to give a laugh. When the moment had ended, Lydia gently eased herself allowing for her and Scott to be joined in the gentlest way possible. They moved in sync, in an almost ethereal way. It was absolutely beautiful. The way Scott looked into Lydia's eyes with such  . . . love. That look that reached her deep within her core and melted away every and anything else until she looked back at him with that same love and almost immaculate adoration. She quietly removed her shirt and without ceasing movement or breaking that look of love, they guided themselves to the bed. A tenderness followed. An almost ballet of tenderness and ecstasy. A rush of triumphant joy and pleasure. For nearly fifteen minutes they enveloped each other in a rapturous bliss.And as their movements reached their culmination, Lydia looked deep into Scott's eyes. He loved her with every fiber of his being. And she loved him just as much. Yet there was a part of Lydia, buried deep down beneath all of the intimacy that willed for Deaton to hurry.

For she and Scott were in much more trouble than she had ever thought possible.

oooooo

Dr. Fenris held the stethoscope firmly against the apex with great concentration. He looked up at the male nurse sitting beside the patients bed.

"It won't be long now," he stated as he stared down at the young woman, her blond hair tied behind her head, her beauty hidden beneath green vain-like tendrils that covered almost all of her body.

"Goodnight, Sweet Princess," the nurse said as he kissed her gently on the forehead. "May hosts of angels sing you to sleep."

Fenris rolled his eyes, "How very poetic, Raoul. Now come, I need to finish the nights rounds."

With a look of sadness, Raoul followed Dr. Fenris out of the room and watched as he slammed the cold iron door as soon as he had cleared the doorway. Raoul stood back looking at the door when Dr. Fenris showed a file folder in his face.

"Do let me know when it happens."

Raoul looked in anger as Dr. Fenris walked off. He wrote a few items in the chart before taking a long look at the door and dropping the chart in the hanging wall file next to the door. Written on that wall file in large black letters was a name: ALICIA GAJOS.

With a start Dr. Valack's eyes shot open he looked to Peter with an almost panicky fear.

"So, what did you see?" Peter asked nervously.

"We need to hurry. We're running out of time."

 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments/Criticisms greatly appreciated


End file.
